Tang Daxing, paroled after seven years in jail for brawling over his high school sweetheart Xiaohui, hopes to find legitimate work so they can finally marry -- but the reappearance of an old classmate who has struck it rich poses a temptation: can they withstand the lure of easy money in a fast-changing China?

In the early 1990s, "Public Order Defence Squads" in China — usually made up of discharged military personnel, unemployed young adults and local hooligans — were supposed to maintain public order in villages and towns. Most of the time, however, they ended up dealing with all sorts of mundane matters in their towns. The story begins with a mysterious case of serial dog killings. LI Lizhong, leader...